Brighton W


Ruth Addicott asks journalists whether they do like to be beside the sea


hen Argus reporter Jody Doherty-Cove noticed his pants had gone missing from his washing line in Brighton, he wasn’t the only one in the street. Knickers, socks and pants had been


disappearing for months. “Originally people thought it was a pervert, but it turned


out to be a cat called Basil,” he says. Naturally, it made a story (‘Purr-vert: thieving cat steals pants from neighbours’ washing lines’) and proved sometimes you don’t need to look further than your back yard for local news. Brighton has always had an eclectic mix of characters,


even the four-legged kind, and has long been a magnet for journalists. Doherty-Cove was born and bred in the city and says one of the best things about the job is the mix of stories, whether it is a dispute over a cycle lane or bombs that were made in Brighton linked to attacks in Yemen. The Argus (owned by Newsquest) was founded in 1880 and is the main daily newspaper for Brighton and Hove. Like other titles, its staff and circulation have seen steep decline and the key to landing a job now is a good nose for news and a background in multimedia. Doherty-Cove learnt his skills working for Brighton


TV channel Latest TV and creative agency Witness BTN, where he scoured the city for good news stories and shot 60-second videos for Facebook, one of which received around 300,000 views. “We’ve got a team of really talented reporters here who all


have those different backgrounds in multimedia rather than just print,” he says.


Meanwhile at independent news site www.


brightonandhovenews.org is focused on the issues riling local residents, be it planning applications, bars that might attract noisy crowds or traffic and travel. Editor Frank le Duc has lived in Brighton all his life and worked at The Times before moving back as deputy editor at The Argus. In 2009, he saw an opportunity and launched www.brightonandhovenews. org.


“I have strong feelings about how local journalism should work and what it should be about and one of the big challenges, I think, in the past 20-30 years with the consolidation of local newspapers is that sometimes it feels like the local identity is lost in the news coverage,” he says. “I understand a large company would want to save money


by having subbing hubs or fewer district offices etc. I just feel, as far as possible, it’s better if reporters are on the ground.” The site is run by le Duc and former Argus colleague Jo


Wadsworth. They have one full-time local democracy reporter and a small team of volunteers. They cover council meetings, court cases and health board meetings in person (or remotely since restrictions) and, according to le Duc, they’re often the only reporters present. “For me, it’s about first-hand reporting, getting to know people, winning their trust, and providing a platform for sharing what’s happening that is accessible to as wide a group of people as possible,” he says. While readership soared at the start of the pandemic,


advertising revenue fell. It has since levelled out and le Duc says the site often reaches well over 100,000 people. With its vibrant entertainment scene, hipster hangouts,


comedy, arts and culture, Brighton is crammed with creativity. As it is an hour from London, a lot of media workers commute. As well as quality of life, anything goes and there is the added bonus of being next to the sea. A downside is the price of property, especially for those on a meagre wage. In addition, the pandemic has left many freelances in a


precarious position relying on SEISS grants (if they can get them) and alternative revenue streams.


10 | theJournalist


Spotlight on... JULIA CLAXTON


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